Garment display rack with vertically movable hangers



Sept. 14, 1965 M. COHEN 3,206,038

GARMENT DISPLAY RACK WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE HANGERS Filed Sept. 9, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 if?. J. [m I /Z Maunce (Zizek M. COHEN Sept. 14, 1965 GARMENT DISPLAY RACK WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE HANGERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 9, 1963 Inventor, Maurz'c'e 007mm, 55m /c A Sept. 14, 1965 M. COHEN 3,206,038

GARMENT DISPLAY RACK WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE HANGERS Filed Sept. 9, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 15 /g Il?. f3

United States Patent O 3,206,038 GARMENT DISPLAY RACK WITH VERTICALLY MOVABLE HANGERS Maurice Cohen, 3580 NW. 52nd St., Dade County, Fla. Filed lSlept. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 307,602 9 Claims. (Cl. 21k-174) The present invention relates to a garment display rack. More particularly, the present invention relates to a garment display rack that includes a plurality of vertically movable hangers, each of which is individually movable to an upper position for the display of the garment located thereon.

In the display of mens trousers on display racks, it has been the common practice to locate the trousers on a hanger that is mounted on the rack for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. Prior to the instant invention, the hangers on which the trousers were mounted were fixed in their vertical position, and thus the trousers were normally located in adjacent, side-by-side pivotal relation. It is understood that the handling of trousers in these prior known racks has presented somewhat of a problem since in order to withdraw `a pair of trousers from the rack it has been necessary to separate the desired hanger from the adjacent hangers by squeezing the adjacent hangers together. If all of the hangers mounted on the rack were loaded with trousers, this squeezing together of adjacent hangers was difficult, and the withdrawal of a particular pair of trousers from a hanger and/or the insertion thereon was an annoying and sometimes difcult task.

The present invention is designed to avoid the difficulties associated with the prior known display racks for displaying trousers and the like and includes a plurality of hanger members that are adapted to be individually movable in vertical relation. Thus, any single hanger member on which a pair of trousers is mounted may be movable to an upper position thereof so as to present the selected trousers for easy removal therefrom. Each hanger member in the present invention is formed with 'a vertically extending rod and an outwardly extending hanger portion located at the upper end of the vertical rod. The outwardly extending hanger portion defines a cantilever and with a garment mounted thereon the hanger member is eccentrically loaded which results in an inclination of the vertical rod. In order to lock the hanger members in an upper position for removal of a garment therefrom, each vertical rod of the hanger members slidably projects through a vertically extending opening in a cross member that is formed as part of the frame of the garment rack. The vertically extending openings have a vertical dimension that is suiicient to provide a bearing surface for the rod slida'oly extending therethrough, but is also dimensioned to enable the rod to incline somewhat when the hanger portion is eccentrically loaded. When a hanger member is loaded with a garment on the hanger portion thereon and is moved to the upper position, the eccentric loading causes the vertical rod to incline. The rod as inclined is disposed in engagement with the edges of the opening in the cross member at oppositely and vertically displaced bearing areas. It is the engagement of the inclined rod at these bearing areas that causes the rod to be locked in the upper position thereof.

The present invention further includes a device for automatically releasing the hanger member from the upper elevated position thereof so as to provide for the return of the hanger member to the lower position. The release device includes an engaging bar that is adapted to engage the inclined vertical rod on which the cantilevered hanger portions are secured, the rods thereby being moved in aligned vertical relation with respect to the openings through which they extend and thereafter falling by gravity to the lower position thereof.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a garment display rack with vertically movable hangers for individually displaying the garments thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of vertically movable hangers in a garment display rack, each of the hangers being movable to an adjusted elevated position thereof.

Still another object is to provide a garment display rack having vertically movable hangers wherein the hangers are movable to an adjustable elevated position and are returned to the lowermost position thereof by a release device.

Still another object is to provide a garment display rack that includes a plurality of hanger members, each of which is provided with a vertical rod and a cantilevered hanger portion secured to the rod, each of the rods being movable within a vertical opening to an upper position, and a garment being mounted on the cantilevered hanger portion for eccentrically loading the hanger member to incline the rod and thereby lock the hanger member in the upper position thereof.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

FIG. l is a front elevational view of the garment display rack embodied in the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken along lines 2 2 in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the garment rack cross member showing a vertical rod fof a hanger member extending through an opening in the cross member, the upper locked position of the hanger member rod being shown in dotted lines;

FIG. 4 is a top plan View of the garment display rack illustrating a modied form of hanger release device;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the rack and release device illustrated in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary end elevational view of the rack embodied herein showing a further modified form of release device.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, the garment display rack embodied in the present invention is illustrated generally at 10 and includes a frame construction defined by end members generally indicated at 12 and 14 and an upper cross member 16 that is connected at the ends thereof to the end members 12 and 14. Both the end members 12 and 14 are similarly constructed and include spaced vertical legs 13 and 20 that are interconnected by an upper horizontal end rail 22 and a lower horizontal end rail 24. The upper cross member 16 is provided with a plurality of horizontally spaced, vertically extending openings, each of which as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 is formed by an inserted metal sleeve 26 that defines an opening 28 through which the vertical rod of a hanger member to be described extends. As will be described hereinafter, the diameter and vertical dimension of the openings 28 formed in the upper cross member 16 are such as to properly locate the hanger members extending therethrough in an elevated and locked position.

Mounted in the display rack 10 is a hanger assembly that is defined by a plurality of vertically movable hanger members one of which is generally indicated at 30 in FIG. 2. Each of the hanger members includes a vertical rod 32 and an offset hanger portion 34 fixed to the uppermost end of the rod 32 and cantilevered with respect thereto. The cantilevered offset portion 34 defines the portion lof the hanger on which a garment is suspended for display, and in this connection includes an upper horizontal bar over which the garment, such as a pair of trousers, is suspended during the display thereof on the rack 10. Referring again to FIGS. 2 and 3, the rod 32 of a hanger member 30is shown extending through anopening 28 in the cross member 16 and is adapted to be vertically movable therein.

With a garment suspended from the horizontal bar of the hanger portion 34, it is seen that when the hanger 30 is moved to an upper elevated position thereof by sliding of the rod 32 within the opening 28, the weight of the garment on the hanger portion 34 creates an eccentric load with respect to the vertical rod 32 that causes the vertical rod 32 to incline. Thus, when the hanger member 30 is located in an elevated position as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, it will be tilted by the eccentric loading of the hanger portion 34 so as to cause ,the front and rear surfaces lof the rod 32 that extends through the opening 28 to bear against the adjacent edges of the opening 28. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, a front portion of the rod 32 bea-rs against the adjacent uppermost edge `of the opening 28 indicated at 36, and a rear portion of the rod 32 bears against the adjacent lowermost edge of the opening opposite the edge 36 and indicated at 38. It is apparent that the rod 32 of each hanger member must be permitted some degree of tilting but must not be permitted to incline at too sharp an angle. vHence the opening 28 must be of sufficient dimension to provide for the inclination of the rod 32 but must furthermore have sufficient bearing surface to support the rod 32 in the substantially vertical position thereof. The length of the opening 28 is thus approximately slightly greater than twice the diameter thereof.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the rod 32 of the hanger member 30 is shown having a diameter that is sufficiently smaller than that of the opening 28 formed in the sleeve 26 to permit unimpeded sliding movement of the rod 32 within the sleeve. However, as mentioned above, the diameter of the opening 28 is dimensioned so as to permit only that inclination of the rod 32 that is required to produce the binding action at the upper edge 36 and the lower edge 38 of the opening 28. It is understood that if the opening 28 were too large in diameter, the

rod 32 would incline more forwardly than desirable and Would not return'to the lower position thereof upon actuation of a release mechanism as will be described hereinafter.

After a hanger member 30 has been moved to the upper position thereof for the display and/or removal of the garment located in suspended position on the hanger portion 34 thereof, return to the lower position of the hanger may be simply accomplished by shifting the rod 32 so that it is in axial alignment with the opening 28. The rod 32 will then fall by gravity to the lower position thereof until the lower part of the hanger portion 34 strikes the cross member 16. Sometimes the operator or person using the display rack may not be in a position to physically shift the rod 32 to the vertically aligned position, as described, with his hands. In this event it is desirable to provide for return of an elevated hanger member to the lower position without the user grasping the rod 32 with his hands. For this purpose a lrelease device generally indicated at 40 is provided. The release device 40 includes spaced L- shaped members 41 that are located adjacent the end members 12 and 14 and that are interconnected by an actuating bar 42 and an engaging bar 44. Each of the L-shaped members 41 includes a short generally horizontal lower portion 46 to which is integrally joined a relatively long, generally vertical upper portion 48. The actuating bar 42 is joined to the outermost ends of the generally horizontal lower portions 46 while the engaging bar 44 is joined to the uppermost ends of the generally vertical upper portions 48 of the L-shaped members 41. The L-shaped members 41 are pivotally connected to the bottom rails 24 by pivot pins 50 and are limited in the pivotal movement thereof by spaced stops 52 and 54 that are secured to the inner side of the bottom end rails 24. The vertical or upper portions 48 of the L- shaped members 41 extend upwardly a sufficient distance to locate the horizontally extending engaging bar 44 adjacent to the rearrnost side of the rods 32 of the hangers 30. Upon depression of the actuating bar 42 by the foot -of the user, the release device will be pivoted so as to move the engaging bar 44 into contact with the rearrnost sides of the rods 32 of the hanger members 30. Movement of the engaging bar 44 into Contact with the rods 32 will shift any of the rods 32 that are located in an inclined upper position into alignment with their respective openings 28 in the cross member 16. These hanger members 3@ will then fall by gravity to the lower position thereof. Overpivoting of the release device 40 will be prevented by the stop 52, while the stop 54 will normally retain the release device 40 in the position as illustrated in full lines in FIG. 2. Since the upper portion 48 of the L-shaped member 41 is relatively long, these upper portions cooperate with the engaging bar 44 to cause the release device 4) to overbalance and to normally assume the position illustra-ted in full lines in FIG. 2. Release of the actuating bar 42 by the user will result in the retu-rn of the release device to the normal position thereof.

The opera-tion of the rack as described is relatively simple, and each hanger member 30 may be individually moved to an upper position as illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 2 by physically lifting the selected hanger member 3i) with the garment thereon. The garment on the horizontal bar of the hanger portion 34 may be more closely inspected or removed from the mounted position thereof as desired. In any event, the garment on the horizontal portion of the hanger portion 34 will be eX- posed with respect to the garments located on the hanger members that are located in the lower positions thereof. With the selected hanger member located in the elevated position thereof, the cantilevered formation of the hanger portion 34 and the eccentric loading by the weight of the garment on the hanger portion will cause the selected hanger member to be locked within its opening in the cross member 16. It is understood that the selected hanger member may be moved to any desired elevated position. In order to release the selected hanger member from the elevated position thereof, it is only necessary to move the actuating bar 42 downwardly to pivot the release device, thereby moving the engaging bar 44 into contact with the rearmost side of the elevated hanger member. The elevated hanger member is then shifted into alignment with its opening 2S in the cross member 16 and thereafter falls by gravity to the lower position thereof.

In the description of the hanger members 30 hereinabove, the lower position thereof was defined by the engagement of the lowermost portion of the hanger portions 34 in contact with the cross member 16. If desired, a lower cross member may be provided that extends beneath the rods 32 of the hanger members 30 and in alignment with the cross member 16. The lower c-ross member will then define a :stop for engagement by the bottommost edges of the rods 32 of the hangers 30 to positively locate the hanger members in their lower position.

' Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, alternate constructions `of the release device are illustrated, and as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an actuating device generally indicated at 56 is provided and includes an actuating frame defined by a front horizontally extending bar 58, a rear horizontally extending actuating bar 60, and end bars 62 and 64 that interconnect the front and rear bars 58, 60. The frame of the release device 56 is secured to the end members 12 and 14 by a plurality of springs 66 that in effect float the frame. An actuating handle 68 is joined to the uppermost side of the end rod 62 and extends outwardly beyond the legs 18 and 20. The hanger members 30 in the modified form of the rack illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are const-ructed in the manner as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and are moved to an upper elevated position as described above. With any of the hanger members 30 located in an upper elevated position, the release thereof for movement to the lower position may be accomplished by moving the actuating handle 68 forwardly to cause the actuating frame to shift, whereupon the engaging rod 60 engages the rear sides of the rods 32 of the hangers 30. The rods 32 will thereby be aligned with their respective openings 28 and the elevated hangers 30 will thereafter move to the lower position thereof. Movement of the actuating frame is permitted by the springs 66 which also act to return the frame to the normal position upon release of the actuating handle 68.

It is further contemplated to modify the alternate construction of the release device just described, and referring now to FIG. 6, the alternate construction is shown including spaced vertically extending end bars 70 and 72 that are secured to the frame of the release device. An upper actuating bar 74 is joined to the uppermost ends of the vertical bars 70 and 72 so as to locate the actuating bar above the level of the hanger members 30. The actuating bar in this form of release device is readily accessible for actuation as desired.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements `of the pa-rts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying invent-ive concept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms herein shown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a garment display rack, a frame including spaced end members that are interconnected by a horizontal cross member secured thereto, a plurality of spaced apart, vertically extending openings formed in said cross member, a plurality of garment hanger members, each of which includes a vertical rod and a hanger portion that is secured to the uppermost end of said rod and that projects outwardly with respect thereto -to define a cantilevered portion, the vertical rod of each hanger member projecting through an opening in said cross member and being vertically adjustable therein, each of said cantilevered hanger portions being adapted to receive a garment for display thereon tha-t eccentrically loads the hanger member on which it is mounted, the eccentric load causing the vertical rod of each hanger member when it is inthe elevated position thereof, to incline with respect to the vertical, so that the elevated rod bears against the uppermost edge of the opening through which it projects, on the same side as the hanger portion and against the lowermost edge of the opening on the side opposite the hanger portion, wherein the inclined rod is locked in the elevated position thereof, and means for applying a lateral force to the rods of said hanger members, whereby the rods that are located in the elevated position will be tilted to align with their respective openings, said elevated hanger members thereafter automatically falling by gravity to the lowermost position thereof.

2. In a garment display rack, a frame including spaced end members that are interconnected by a horizontal cross member secured thereto, a plurality of vertically extending openings formed in said cross member in spaced apart relation, a plurality of hanger members, each of which includes a vertical rod that projects through one of said openings and is vertically movable 67 therein, a hanger portion joined to each rod at theupper'- most end thereof and projecting outwardly with respect thereto to define a cantilevered portion on which a garment is adapted to be received, each garment eccentrically loading the hanger member on which it is mounted, each hanger member being adjustably movable to an upper position, wherein the eccentric load of the garment on the hanger portion thereof causes the vertical rod joined thereto to be tilted and to lock in the opening through which it extends, thereby locating the elevated hanger port-ion and the garment thereon in a position of display above the garments located on the other hanger members, and means for releasing the hanger member that is located in the elevated and locked position, wherein the elevated hanger member falls by gravity to the lower normal position thereof.

3. In a garment display rack as set forth in claim 2, each of said openings having a suticient vertical dimension that enables the vertical rod extending therethrough to tilt when the eccentric load is applied to the hanger portion thereof, the tilting of the vertical rod by the eccentric load thereon causing opposite portions of the rod to engage the opposite edges of the associated opening, thereby locking the rod in the elevated and tilted posi-tion thereof.

4. In a garment display rack as set forth in claim 2, said releasing means being operatively connected to said end members and including an engaging bar that is parallel to said cross member and located adjacent said rods, said engaging bar being movable into engagement with said rods, wherein the rods that are located in the elevated and tilted position will be shifted into alignment with their respective openings and will automatically fall by gravity therein to their lowermost position.

5. In a garment display rack as set forth in claim 4, said releasing means being pivotally secured to said end members and further including an actuating bar that is interconnected to said engaging bar, said actuating bar being parallel to said cross member and being located adjacent the bottom of said rack for engagement by the foot of the operator of the rack, wherein actua-tion of said actuating bar moves said engaging bar into contact with said rods.

6. In a garment display rack as set forth in claim 4, said releasing means including an engaging bar that is resiliently interconnected to said end members and an actuating bar that is joined to said engaging bar adjacent an end thereof and that extends in a direction perpendicular to said engaging bar for projection outwardly beyond the outer end of said hanger portions.

7. In a garment display rack, a hanger assembly including at least one hanger member that is formed with a vertical rod and a hanger portion joined to the upper end of said rod in cantilevered relation thereon, means for supporting said hanger assembly, at least one vertically extending opening formed in said supporting means for slidably receiving said rod therein, said hanger being movable to an upper position for display of a garment adapted to be mounted on said hanger portion by sliding said rod upwardly within said opening, wherein a garment on said cantilevered hanger portion eccentrically loads said hanger member to cause the rod to incline so that it bears in engaging relation against opposite vertically displaced sides of said opening, the eccentric loading on said hanger portion thereby locking said hanger member in the desired elevated position thereof, and means mounted on said support for movement into engagement with said rod for shifting the rod from the inclined position into vertical alignment with said opening, wherein said rod falls by gravity to the lowermost position thereof, said shifting means including a release member that is mounted for movement on said supporting means and that includes a horizontally extending bar that is adapted to engage said rod.

said release member being pivotally mounted on said 5 2,944,675

supporting means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 297,786

Christensen 211-,86 Veroutere 160.-.125 Gonzy 297-190 Darnell 248-1761 Cohen 21,1-124 Great Britain.

4/84 Goodman 297-178 10 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. 

7. IN A GARMENT DISPLAY RACK, A HANGER ASSEMBLY INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE HANGER MEMBER THAT IS FORMED WITH A VERTICAL ROD AND A HANGER PORTION JOINED TO THE UPPER END OF SAID ROD IN CANTILEVERED RELATION THEREON, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HANGER ASSEMBLY, AT LEAST ONE VERTICALLY EXTENDING OPENING FORMED IN SAID SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SLIDABLY RECEIVING SAID ROD THEREIN, SAID HANGER BEING MOVABLE TO AN UPPER POSITION FOR DISPLAY OF A GARMENT ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON SAID HANGER PORTION BY SLIDING SAID ROD UPWARDLY WITHIN SAID OPENING, WHEREIN A GARMENT ON SAID CANTILEVERED HANGER PORTION ECCENTRICALLY LOADS SAID HANGER MEMBER TO CAUSE THE ROD TO INCLINE SO THAT IT BEARS IN ENGAGING RELATION AGAINST OPPOSITE VERTICALLY DISPLACED SIDES OF SAID OPENING, THE ECCENTRIC LOADING ON SAID HANGER PORTION THEREBY LOCKING SAID HANGER MEMBER IN THE DESIRED ELEVATED POSITION THEREOF, AND MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROD FOR SHIFTING THE ROD FROM THE INCLINED POSITION INTO VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENING, WHEREIN SAID ROD FALLS BY GRAVITY TO THE LOWERMOST POSITION THEREOF, SAID SHIFTING MEANS INCLUDING A RELEASE MEMBER THAT IS MOUNTED FOR MOVEMENT ON SAID SUPPORTING MEANS AND THAT INCLUDES A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING BAR THAT IS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID ROD. 